Enfnts Terribles

1. Conan Gray – Overdrive

Conan Gray had the biggest debut for a debut album in the US of last year and Kid Krow is reaching the milestone of over 1 billion streams on Spotify soon. The teen idol’s popularity is attributable to his highly relatable lyrics and sense for creating hit.

Since his fandom is steadily rising thanks to a.o. TikTok, the singer decided to drop the future hit “Overdrive”. The song has literally all the elements it needs to become a mega success and is a great contender to be the next fan favorite. We’re not exaggerating when we say that you won’t get “Overdrive” out of your head.

2. Mahalia & Rico Nasty – Jealous

The utterly cute R&B singer Mahalia has been selling out venues all over the world with her loveable album LOVE AND COMPROMISE in 2019. While she conquered hearts with her adorable take on alt-R&B and soul, she’s not sleeping on her talent and tries to reinvent herself with an absolute banger.

“Jealous” becomes a true highlight in her discography with the help of the talented rap-phenomenon Rico Nasty. Instead of changing everything about her music, she’s keeping some great elements (like the acoustic guitar) but puts them in another musical context, which results in a new experience. We lost our heart to Mahalia.

3. Tanaë – Good As Gold

The Belgian pop scene is stepping it up in 2021. Singer and songwriter Tanaë is already a star in the French-speaking part of Belgium, but with songs like “Good As Gold” it’s just a matter of time before she’s breaking through outside the borders.

The new era in her career started last year with “Listen” and it’s getting even better on “Good As Gold”. The addictive production lets you press the replay button over and over again, and standing still is impossible when you hear the song. Write Tanaë down, we’re putting all our money on her!

4. Nick Ward – FMF!

One thing is for certain, Nick Ward is jacked, and knows exactly where he’s going. Gifted with a unique voice and the ability to come up with utterly stunning visuals, the singer successfully unveiled his debut EP “Everything I Wish I Told You” earlier this month, and recently unveiled the music video for the dazzling “FMF!”.

Characterized by a beautiful blend of youthful tones coated in a nostalgic atmosphere, this track does great justice to the artist’s singular universe. The music video that accompanies the song was directed and edited by the artist himself, who clearly proves to have more than one string up his bow. We’re looking forward to see what that one will bring next!

5. Maeve – Manic Pixie Dream Girl

Maeve’s genre-defying sound highlights the DIY aspect of her music, and certainly helps her stand out from the crowd: her songs are dazzling and atypical, coated in a singular aesthetic in which shapes and dimensions beautifully merge. Influenced by visual artists such as Kate Bush, Bjork and Imogen Heap, the artist utilizes music as a channel for innovation, whilst telling her own story.

This week, the jack-off-all-trades artist returns with her brand new single “Manic Pixie Dream Girl”. Produced and written by Maeve herself, the track uses provocative lyrics to depict the notion of “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” and praises the importance of becoming the main character. As simple as that.

6. Frenetik – Magenta

Earlier this year, Belgian rising star Frenetik took the rap scene by storm with the release of his well-acclaimed mixtape “Jeu de couleurs”. This week, the rapper returns with the bonus track “Magenta”, confirming his undeniable talent by performing two verses on two different beats. No less than that.

Characterized by spontaneous yet thoughtful lyrics and an incredibly energetic flow, Frenetik’s musical project is probably what a lot of people had been waiting for, and “Magenta” only adds up to the artist’s rising popularity. A live performance of the track is available on Grunt’s YouTube channel – make sure to check it out, it’ll give you goosebumps.

7. Rodé – Are You Thinking of Me?

Australian artist Rodé makes an impressive debut with the release of her very first single, “Are you thinking of me?”. Aptly dropped on Valentine’s day, the track depicts the feelings one might have for a person they fall in love with, without knowing whether they will be loved back. Vulnerability at its finest.

Highly influenced by Fiona Apple and James Blake, this promising artist shows a fantastic ability to combine genres and styles, whilst conveying a raw and honest sound. There’s no doubt about it: we’ll be hearing from Rodé again, very soon.

8. COBRAH – DIP N DRIP

COBRAH is probably Sweden’s most interesting artist right now. Drenched in metallic textures, her music is both industrial and futuristic and marks the arrival of a new voice on Stockholm’s alternative music scene.

To start the new year in style, the multi-hyphenate artist unveils “DIP N DRIP”, an energetic track where rapid-fire vocals and bouncy beats combine. A tune that will make you dance like no-one’s watching and is a perfect start to a year that looks quite promising for COBRAH.

9. Le Manou – Perfection

French pop is often labeled as too cheesy or predictable, something Le Manou is avoiding with her own tracks by trying different things with every release. In the past year, the singer has opened her own studio ‘Durbuy Music‘ with her fiancee and continued her work as a producer.

Her solo project Le Manou remains her musical playground and has grabbed our attention already several times. “Perfection” is an interesting pop song with a playful melody that gets even more catchy when the chorus hits. Le Manou just reminds us that French is the most beautiful language in the world and she’s really close to perfection with her new bop.

10. Ivori Moss – What If

Debuts are always an exciting moment for new acts and we’re sure that Ivori Moss has been looking forward to the release of “What If” for some time. The trio makes breathtaking trip-hop with some groovy elements that elevate it all a little bit more.

Based on their first single “What If”, we see potential in this upcoming project. The song reminds us of a mix between Poliça, Seinabo Sey, and Oscar & The Wolf and we’re absolutely digging the overall mood they’re going for. Ivori Moss is another Belgian project we’ll be observing in the near future and you should do that too.

Picture by Ninja Hanna.
Co-written by Diane Theunissen.